Is LeBron being asked to do too much?

ASK IRA:

Q: At this point, Miami needs to sit LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Let them find their rhythm during the first round of the playoffs against the Bobcats or Hawks. -- Tzaddi.

A: Or now perhaps against the Wizards, who could wind up as a No. 7 seed. But as Erik Spoelstra has continued to stress, none of his team's absences are because of "resting" players. It's either because of chronic ailments, such as Dwyane Wade's and Greg Oden's knees, or issues of the moment, such as Udonis Haslem's stomach virus and Chris Andersen's current soreness. And with a No. 1 seed still in the balance, I'm not sure LeBron or Bosh would settle for sitting. To their credit, they both play to win. To Spoelstra's credit, he has cut back dramatically on practice and shootaround time. But I also sense that LeBron also is reaching a breaking point, consistently putting up big numbers with limited payoff. At times, it's as if he's back in Cleveland, having to do it alone. I think this is a somewhat tenuous crossroads for the Heat and Spoelstra and LeBron. The Heat really need Wade to offer a reminder of what he's capable of, and sooner rather than later.

Q: Dwyane Wade has missed nearly a third of the season and the Heat still cold have the No. 1 seed in the East. It looks to me like LeBron James is still the MVP! -- Dee.

A: Of course, the counter in Oklahoma City would be that Kevin Durant has had to play similar stretches without Russell Westbrook. The difference is that the Thunder have known in advance when Westbrook was going to be out, have had a capable replacement in Reggie Jackson. By contrast, most of Wade's absences, save for the recent hamstring, have been last-minute decisions, requiring LeBron to adjust on the fly. And unlike the situation in Oklahoma City with the emerging Jackson, LeBron has had to make it work with Toney Douglas and a variety of other Wade stand-ins. To a degree, LeBron has helped compensate for both the absences of Wade and the decision to amnesty Mike Miller. Still, LeBron did all but concede the MVP race to Durant in his pregame comments Wednesday in Memphis.

Q: This is about LeBron. He is the one getting screwed because Wade is always hurt. -- Faye.

A: Actually, Spoelstra has done a decent job, by and large, with James' minutes until this recent stretch, and has cancelled a number of practices and shootarounds to keep LeBron and others fresh. But, yes, of course this is not what LeBron bargained for when he agreed to share the perimeter challenges with Dwyane.

April 9, 2014

Q: Block or foul? -- Pep.

A: A block that in the NBA tends to be called a foul in that situation. One of those 50-50 calls that isn't wrong, either way. But based Mason Plumlee on getting a piece of the ball and no other discernible contact with LeBron James beyond hand-to-hand, a call that certainly should stand up to NBA review. I highly doubt we will see an NBA memo or follow-up video saying the officials miscalled the play. The shock, as even Nets coach Jason Kidd noted, was that the NBA superstar did not get the benefit of the doubt over the NBA rookie. But the Heat also know it should not have come down to that single play.

Q: Does Jason Kidd know something about the Heat that no one else in NBA knows? He was on the Dallas team that came back and beat the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals. Last year's Knicks beat the Heat 3-1 in the season series with Kidd on it, and this year's Nets are 6-0 against the Heat including the preseason. He should be the Zen Master. -- Stuart.

A: And none of it, at least from this season, matters. The team the Heat fielded on Tuesday night was not the team the Heat hope to field in a possible playoff series against the Brooklyn. Dwyane Wade has to be part of any championship mix. As simplistic as it sounds, any Heat lineup without Wade is not a true representation of what needs to be in place for a successful championship run. The Heat need Wade to win; Tuesday showed as much.

Q: Chris Bosh has had so many uninspiring, disappointing games this season. It's hard to believe that he couldn't out play Plumlee. Do you lay more of this on Bosh or the Heat's offensive scheme? -- Joel.

A: Sometimes I just don’t know where his head is, or perhaps Erik Spoelstra should get him back on the block, which might get Chris' head back into it. The box score was humbling, LeBron with 29 points and no other Heat player with more than Bosh's 12. With Chris Andersen clearly not himself, blocked by the rim, itself, on one dunk attempt, the Heat needed far more from Bosh on Tuesday night.

April 8, 2014

Q: Should we be worried about Dwyane Wade being out six games. Or is it just to keep him fresh for playoffs? -- Jose.